Navigation apparatus and display method thereof

ABSTRACT

A navigation system for displaying the information on at least the situations of a user in the screen x of a display unit. The entirety of the screen X can be so switched that a plurality of display modes may be automatically displayed at a suitable timing by the setting of the user. The navigation system has a menu mode for making the aforementioned setting, in which thumbnails T 1  to T 5  for reducing and displaying the individual designs of the display modes other than the menu mode are displayed in the screen X.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a navigation system to be utilized forguiding a mover such as a human being or a vehicle and a display methodof the navigation system.

BACKGROUND ART

The navigation system to be utilized for the route guide of the moversuch as the human being or the vehicle by displaying information on atleast the current place of a user is practiced such that pieces ofinformation such as a symbol indicating the current place (i.e., theaforementioned “information on the current place”), a route to befollowed, a destination, an azimuth or a scale are overlapped anddisplayed on a map. The display mode includes a current placecentralized display mode, in which the current place is arrangedgenerally at the center of the display unit, and a front-wide displaymode for displaying the front in the traveling direction widely. In eachof the modes, moreover, it is known that the display is made bycombining a-north-up display mode, in which the azimuth “north” isdisplayed up, or a heading-up display mode in which the travelingdirection is displayed up (as referred to JP-A-10-20776, for example).

The display modes to be displayed in the screen of the display unit areof a fixed type of a predetermined design, of a switching type, in whicha plurality of designs are automatically switched by the programs of thenavigation system, or of an option type, in which a plurality of designsare selected at a suitable timing by the operation of the user. However:the fixed type has a problem of lack of fan; the switching type has aproblem that the favor of the user is not reflected; and the option typehas a problem that the operation is troublesomely required for eachoption. Thus, there is room for improvement in conveniences.

This navigation system has been conceived noting those problems, and theobject is to provide a navigation system having improved conveniences,and a display method of the system.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As set forth in Claim 1, a navigation system of the present invention ischaracterized by comprising: position detecting means for detecting thesituations of a user; display data creating means for creating displaydata for the basis of information to be displayed in a display unit;storage means for storing a plurality of display modes, in which theinformation is displayed in the display unit with different designsbased on the display data; input means for setting the storage meanswith the display modes to be displayed in the display unit in accordancewith the situations; and control means for switching and controlling thescreen of the display unit so that any of the display modes may beautomatically selected and displayed at a suitable timing in accordancewith the situations.

According to the invention as set forth in Claim 1, the screen isautomatically switched at a suitable timing to a design according to thefavor of the user so that it is possible to provide a navigation systemhaving the improved conveniences.

Especially in Claim 1, as set forth, in Claim 2, the navigation systemis characterized in that the display modes have a menu mode for makingthe settings.

Especially in Claim 2, as set forth in Claim 3, the navigation system ischaracterized in that the storage means stores thumbnails displayed inthe screen in the menu mode for reducing and displaying the individualdesigns of the display modes other than the menu mode.

According to the invention as set forth in Claim 2 or 3, the setting canbe made while observing the menu mode, and especially, the actualdisplay of the screen can be intuitively imagined with the thumbnails,so that it is possible to provide a navigation system having the betterimproved conveniences.

As set forth in Claim 4, there is provided a display method of anavigation system of the present invention for displaying theinformation on at least the situations of a user in the screen of adisplay unit. The display method is characterized in that the screen canbe so switched that any of a plurality of display modes may beautomatically selected and displayed at a suitable timing by the settingof the user.

According to the invention as set forth in Claim 4, the user sets thedisplay mode to be displayed in the screen of the display unit so thatthe screen can be automatically switched at the suitable timing with adesign according to the favor of the user. Therefore, it is possible toprovide a display method of a navigation system having the improvedconveniences.

Especially in Claim 4, as set forth in Claim 5, the navigation system ischaracterized in that a menu mode for making the setting is displayed inthe screen.

Especially in Claim 5, as set forth in Claim 6, the navigation system ischaracterized in that, in the menu mode, thumbnails for reducing anddisplaying the individual designs of the display modes other than themenu mode are displayed in the screen.

According to the invention as set forth in Claim 5 or 6, the setting canbe made while observing the menu mode, and especially, the actualdisplay of the screen can be intuitively imagined with the thumbnails,so that it is possible to provide a navigation system having the betterimproved conveniences.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is block diagram for explaining a navigation system, and FIG. 2to FIG. 4 are explanatory views for explaining displays in thenavigation system.

BEST MORE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention will be described in connection with an embodimentshown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a construction of theembodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is constructed of:an antenna 1 for receiving signals from a positioning satellite for theGPS; a receiver unit 2 for fetching those signals for a predeterminedperiod, to modulate/demodulate their frequencies thereby to operate andoutput positional data such as the latitude, longitude, travelingdirection (as also called azimuth or angle) and altitude of the positionof reception; a control unit 3 for determining positional data on thecurrent place of a mover or user by inputting and operating the outputsignals from the receiver unit 2; a read unit 5 for reading display dataaround the current place and on map data such as maps, topographic maps,roads, rivers and place names, in accordance with the positional data ofthe control unit from a storage medium 4 such as a CD-ROM storing thosemap data; an input unit 6 such as a keyboard or switches operated by theuser to input various settings to the control unit 3; and a display unit7 made of an LCD for displaying pieces of information such as a currentplace, a destination, a route to be followed, an azimuth or a scale byusing the display data based on the positional data of the control unit3. 8 is a driver circuit for driving the display unit 7, located betweenthe control unit 3 and the display unit 7.

In the so-called “GPS type” navigation system to be disclosed in thisembodiment, the antenna 1, the receiver unit 2 and the control unit 3make position detecting means for detecting the situations of thecurrent place or the like of the user. In either the so-called“self-contained navigation type” navigation system or the so-called“hybrid type” navigation system using the second-contained type and theGPS together, however, various sensors such as a velocity sensor and anazimuth sensor, and an operation unit such as a microcomputer for theoperations. The actions of the operation unit can be alternatively doneby a CPU 3 a of the control unit 3.

The control unit 3 is constructed of the well-known microcomputer (ormicom), which is composed of the CPU 3 a, a ROM 3 b and a RAM 3 c and soon. On the basis of programs stored in advance in the ROM 3 b, the CPU 3a performs predetermined operations on the various data stored in theRAM 3 c, to determine the positional data.

Here, in the construction that either the map data (or the display data)stored in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM are fetched or from an external unitsuch as a personal computer or the map data (or the display data) aredown-loaded from a remote server through communication lines, and arestored in a storage element (i.e., a mobile semiconductor element, ascalled “flash memory”, “memory stick” or “memory IC”), that storageelement corresponds to the storage medium 4. In this construction, theCPU 3 a of the control unit 3 plays the role of the read unit 5, and thestorage medium 4 and the read unit 5, or their alternatives make displaydata creating means for creating the display data to be displayed in thedisplay unit 7 and providing a basis for the information to be describedhereinafter.

Next, specific displays in the display unit 7 will be described withreference to FIG. 2 to FIG. 4.

FIG. 2 shows a display example called the “route guiding mode”. Thedisplay device 7 has a screen X or a transversely long rectangulardisplay area. This screen X displays various pieces of information.These pieces of information are constructed by combining data, which areextracted from the data extracted from the display data and the variousdata stored in the RAM 3 c. The pieces of information are exemplifiedby: a current place indicating icon a of a general arrow shape forindicating the current place of the user; a used road image b of thicklines for indicating a road being followed by the user; an option roadimage c of a thin line for indicating an option road connected to theused road and located in front of the current place in the travelingdirection; and a way point indicating icon d of a circle shapeindicating an intersection between the used road and the option road,for example, as set by the user and located in front of the currentplace in the traveling direction.

The way point is used as a mark point such as the destination or a checkpoint. Moreover, the traveling direction covers not only the forwarddirection during an actual movement but also the direction in which theuser faces at an unmoving time.

The current place indicating icon a is displayed in the so-called“front-wide display mode” and in the “heading-up display mode”. In thesedisplay modes, the current place indicating icon a is so positioned at aportion below the vertical center of the screen, e.g., at a one-thirdupper portion from the lower end of the screen X in the verticaldirection that it may be positioned slightly below the center Y of thescreen X. At the same time, the front in the traveling direction isdisplayed above the current place indicating icon a, and this currentplace indicating icon a does not change at its location or in itsdirection in the screen X but stands still at the portion even if thecurrent place changes, until at least the way point indicating icon d isdisplayed in the screen X. Here in FIG. 2, the current place indicatingicon a is displayed to take a position generally at a transverselyintermediate portion of the screen X but may be displayed with aleftward or rightward shift depending upon the later-described relationto other display items.

The used road image b is displayed substantially all over the screen X,and the current place display icon a is displayed over that used roadimage b. The used road, as meant by this display, implies the road whichis selected as a travel-planned route, as retrieved and set in advancewith a route guiding function or the like by the user, from the startingplace to the destination.

The option road image c is so displayed thinner than the used road imageb as may take a display shape different from the used road image b. Theoption road image c is not displayed in the screen X, not only in caseit does not exist within a predetermined range displayed in the screen Xin front of the current place in the traveling direction, but also incase it exists at the back of the current place in the travelingdirection.

The way point display icon d is not displayed not only in the screen Xin case it does not exist within a predetermined range displayed in thescreen X in front of the current place in the traveling direction, butalso in case it exists at the back of the current place in the travelingdirection. Moreover, the way point display icon d is not essential forthe pieces of information. It is possible to select whether or not theway point display icon d is displayed, and it is arbitrary to leave theicon d undisplayed.

In addition to the pieces of information, the other display items aresimultaneously or selectively displayed in the screen X, such as asatellite receiving situation 71, a traveling direction (or compass) 72,a travel guide 73, a current place name 74, a distance scale (or scale)75 and a residual distance 76 to the next one of the way points.

By this display mode, the current place display icon a is displayedwhile standing still at the identical place without changing in theposition or direction in accordance with the change in the currentplace, so that the current place display icon a in the screen X can beeasily recognized to improve the visibility. When the actual surroundinglandscape and the screen X are compared, the point of arrival of thecurrent place in-the near future can be easily estimated.

Here, the navigation system of the present invention has a display modecalled the “menu mode”, as shown in FIG. 3. In this “menu mode”, as theinformation: a display sample portion T, in which thumbnails T1 to T5 orthe reduced images of the individual designs capable of being changedand displayed in the screen X are arranged, is displayed in the verticaldirection on the left-hand side of the screen X; a heading portion H, inwhich the situations of the user are arranged, is displayed in thetransverse direction on the upper side of the screen X; and a selectportion S composed of a plurality of radio buttons S1 is arranged atportions where the display sample portion T and the heading portion Hintersect.

Specifically, the thumbnails T1 to T5 correspond not only to theaforementioned “route guiding mode” but also to the individual displaymodes called the “locus mode”, the “compass mode”, the “arrow mode” andthe “letter mode”, as will be described hereinafter. For each of thesituations displayed in the heading portion H, the user is enabled, bysetting any of the display mode to be displayed in the display unit 7 atthe select portion S, to switch the screen X to a design according tothe favor of the user, automatically at a suitable timing.

The thumbnail T1 displays the design of the “route guiding mode” in areduced scale. When this “route guiding mode” is selected, the screen Xof the display unit 7 makes a display with the design shown in FIG. 2,the description of which is omitted because it has been describedhereinbefore.

The thumbnail T2 displays the design of the “locus mode” in a reducedscale. When this “locus mode” is selected, the screen X of the displayunit 7 makes a display with the design shown in FIG. 4( a).Specifically, the current place indicating icon a, the way pointindicating icon d and the history of the current place, i.e., the dottedlocus image e indicating the points of passage of past travel aredisplayed as the information at the central portion of the screen X.

In this display mode, the information displayed in the screen Xdecreases to raise the visibility.

The thumbnail T3 displays the design of the “compass mode”. When this“compass mode” is selected, the screen X of the display unit 7 makes adisplay with the design shown in FIG. 4( b). Specifically, the currentplace indicating icon a staying at the predetermined position even ifthe current place of the user changes, the azimuth information on theazimuth within a predetermined range in front of the traveling directionaround the current place, and the guide information on the azimuth ofthe traveling direction at the current place and the way point set bythe user are displayed as the information at the central portion of thecommon screen X.

The azimuth information is concerned with the azimuth within thepredetermined range in front of the traveling direction around thecurrent place. In FIG. 4( b), the azimuth within the range of clockwiseand counter-clockwise 45 degrees in front of the traveling directionaround the current place is composed of: symbols f of “N (north)”, “NE(northeast)”, “E (east)”, “SE (southeast)”, “S (south)”, “SW(southwest)”, “W (west)”and “NW (northwest)”; and a scale g dividing thewhole azimuth (360 degrees) into 32 portions.

The guide information is concerned with the azimuth of the travelingdirection at the current place and the way point. The way pointindicating icon d forms, when displayed in the screen X, part of theguide information.

In case the traveling direction (or the front) is south and in case theway point is located south-southeast: the scale g is arranged in thehorizontal direction generally at the center of the vertical directionof the screen X; the current place indicating icon a is located overthat scale g and at the center Y in the screen X; the symbol f of “SE”and “SW” on the left-hand and right-hand sides below the scale g; thesymbol f of “S” is displayed below the current place indicating icon a;and the way point indicating icon d is displayed intermediate of thesymbol f of “S” and “SE” above the scale g. On the left-hand lowerportion of the screen X, there is displayed a way point name 77 forspecifying the way point.

In this display mode, the current place display icon a is displayedwhile standing still at the identical place without changing in theposition or direction in accordance with the change in the currentplace, so that the current place display icon a in the screen X can beeasily recognized to improve the visibility.

The thumbnail T4 reduces and displays the design of the “arrow mode”.When this “arrow mode” is selected, the screen X of the display unit 7makes a display with the design shown in FIG. 4( c). In the commonscreen X, specifically, the current place indicating icon a staying atthe predetermined position even if the current place of the userchanges, and the travel information on the direction of the way point(i.e., the way point direction), which is located around that currentplace indicating icon a and set by the user, are displayed as theinformation at the central portion of the screen X.

The travel information is composed of a plurality of breakpoint marksdividing the predetermined angle range at least in front of thetraveling direction around the current place and capable of indicatingthe way point direction. In FIG. 4( c), the predetermined angle range isset to the leftward and rightward 90 degrees in front of the travelingdirection around the current place and is divided by eight into ninebreakpoint marks i, which are shaped into bright (or luminescent) dotsarranged in islands. In short, the travel information is formed in theseparate shapes.

Each of the breakpoint marks i has a region of leftward and rightward11.25 degrees. In case the way point direction is contained in thisregion, the marks change into way point direction indicating andbreakpoint marks j, which are shaped into dark (or unluminescent) dotsand indicate the way point direction.

As a result, the relation between the traveling direction and the waypoint can be known at the unit of one quarter of 90 degrees.

By making the adjacent two of the breakpoint marks i into the way pointdirection indicating and breakpoint marks j, moreover, it is possible toindicate that the way point is located between those two marks j. Inother words, a display mode like that of the divided indications at theunit of 11.25 degrees (i.e., one eighth of 90 degrees) can be realizedto enhance the display resolution.

In this display mode, by observing the position of the way pointdirection indicating and breakpoint marks j, the relation between thetraveling direction and the way point can be easily recognized toenhance the visibility.

The thumbnail T5 reduces and displays the design of the “letter mode”.When this “letter mode” is selected, the screen X of the display unit 7makes a display with the design shown in FIG. 4( d). Specifically,letters k such as the distance between the way point and the currentplace, the name of the way point, the name of the current place and thedirection of the way point are displayed as the information at thecentral portion of the screen X.

In this display mode, the letters k are displayed in the screen X sothat the situations can be instantly grasped to enhance theinterpretation.

In this construction: the RAM 3 c is used as storage means for storingthe display modes for displaying the information in the display unit 7with the different designs on the basis of the display data; the inputunit 6 is used as input means for setting the display mode to bedisplayed in the display unit 7 according to the situations; and the CPU3 a of the control unit 3 is used as control means for switching andcontrolling the entirety of the screen X of the display unit 7 so as toselect and display any of the display modes automatically at a suitabletiming on the basis of the situations.

FIG. 3 shows the case, in which the display mode is set for each of thesituations by the user, and shows the portion, at which a radio buttonS2 is selected by the user. Specifically, the entirety of the screen Xof the display unit 7 is automatically switched such that: the displayin the “compass mode” of the thumbnail T3 is made in the “Drive”indicating the moving time as the situations; the display in the “lettermode” of the thumbnail T5 is made in the “Way Point” indicating theapproaching time of the way point within a predetermined distance as thesituations; and the display in the “route guiding mode” of the thumbnailT1 is made in the “Help” indicating the unmoving time such as a stop asthe situations.

According to this construction, the user is enabled, by setting thedisplay mode to be displayed in the display unit 7 at the select portionS, to switch the screen X to a design according to the favor of theuser, automatically at a suitable timing thereby to enhance theconveniences.

Moreover, the aforementioned settings can be made while observing themenu modes, especially, the thumbnails T1 to T5, the actual displays ofthe display modes in the screen X can be intuitively imagined to makethe conveniences higher.

In the embodiment thus far described, moreover, the entirety of thescreen X of the display unit 7 is switched so that the embodiment issuited for the display of the display unit 7 having the screen X of asmall size. The navigation system having the improved visibility andconveniences can be realized while suppressing the cost for the displayunit 7.

Here, the individual screens X of FIG. 2 and FIG. 4( a) to 4(d) and thescreen X of FIG. 3 have different aspect ratios, but this difference ismade just for conveniences of description. As a matter of fact, theswitched displays are made in the identical screen X of the display unit7.

The present invention should not be limited to the embodiment thus fardescribed but can be modified in various manners.

In the foregoing embodiment moreover, the display modes need not be madedifferent by switching the screen X for each of the situations. Inaddition, the input unit 6 can also be set to display the identical modein all or some of the situations.

Moreover, the display items such as the satellite receiving situation71, the compass 72, the travel guiding 73, the current place name 74,the scale 75, the residual distance 76 to the next way point, and theway point name 77 to be displayed in the screen X can be freely combinedin the display modes, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 4( a) to 4(d), eitherby the instruction of the programs installed in the control unit 3 or bythe selection by the user through the input unit 6.

The present invention should not be limited to the embodiment thus fardescribed but can provide a display method of a navigation system fordisplaying the information on at least the situations of the user in thescreen X of the display unit 7. By making it possible to switch thescreen X such that any of the display modes may be automaticallyselected and displayed at the suitable timing by the aforementionedsetting of the user, the display method of the navigation system, inwhich the screen X is automatically switched at the suitable timing witha design according to the favor of the user.

Especially, the menu mode for making the aforementioned setting isdisplayed in the screen X and, in the menu mode, the thumbnails T1 to T5for reducing and displaying the individual designs of the display modesother than the menu mode are displayed in the screen X. Therefore, theaforementioned setting can be made while observing the menu mode.Especially, the display of the actual screen X can be intuitivelyimagined with the thumbnails T1 to T5, thereby to provide a displaymethod of a navigation system having better improved conveniences.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention is suitable for the navigation system to beutilized for guiding a mover such as a human being or a vehicle, and adisplay method of the system, and can provide a navigation systemimproved in conveniences and a display method of the system.

1. A navigation system characterized by comprising: position detectingmeans for detecting the situations of a user; display data creatingmeans for creating display data for the basis of information to bedisplayed in a display unit; storage means for storing a plurality ofdisplay modes, in which said information is displayed in said displayunit with different designs based on said display data; input means forpresetting said storage means with selected ones of the plurality ofdisplay modes to be displayed on a screen of said display unit atcertain situations encountered during a route guidance; and controlmeans for controlling the screen of said display unit to automaticallyswitch, in response to encountering a respective certain situationduring route guidance, to the display mode selected, via saidpresetting, to be displayed in response to said encountering saidrespective certain situation during route guidance.
 2. A navigationsystem as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said display modeshave a menu mode for making said settings.
 3. A navigation system as setforth in claim 2, characterized in that said storage means storesthumbnails displayed in said screen in said menu mode for reducing anddisplaying the individual designs of said display modes other than saidmenu mode.
 4. A display method of a navigation system for displayinginformation on at least the situations of a user in a screen of adisplay unit, comprising: presetting selected ones of a plurality ofdisplay modes to be displayed on said screen of said display unit atcertain situations encountered during a route guidance, automaticallyswitching said screen, in response to encountering a respective certainsituation during route guidance, to the display mode selected, via saidpresetting, to be displayed in response to said encountering saidrespective certain situation during route guidance.
 5. A display methodof a navigation system as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that amenu mode for making said presetting selected ones of said plurality ofdisplay modes is displayed in said screen.
 6. A display method ofnavigation system as set forth in claim 5, characterized in that, insaid menu mode, thumbnails for reducing and displaying the individualdesigns of said display modes other than said menu mode are displayed insaid screen.